Czynniki zagrożenia w ginekologii onkologicznej

The paper presents a general overview of risk factors in gynaecological oncology based on a review of recent literature, highlighting their role in preventive medicine. Since mid-twentieth century the role of risk factors is being increasingly appreciated, particularly those directly associated with the risk of developing certain diseases, including female genital malignancies. Several risk factors have been defined, e.g. genetic, biologic, socioeconomic, cultural, geographic, iatrogenic and environmental and their list is ever increasing. This has made possible the definition of high-risk groups of women, who require close medical monitoring in order to detect neoplastic disease at an earliest possible stage. Risk factors usually precede the process of carcinogenesis, although both may be synchronous. Risk factors have various prognostic values: one risk factor may be present in several different neoplasms and several different risk factors may be associated with a single tumour. A frequent phenomenon is oncological synergy. Most female genital neoplasms are multifactorial diseases.